Cong. Erico Aumentado was frantic last week when he learned that the budget for the Panglao airport in the 2012 budget was “nowhere to be found” giving rise to suspicion that the huge project is in the precipice of extinction. This led the second district lawmaker to militate and earnestly appeal to Sec. Manuel Roxas of the department of transportation and communication to reconsider his office decision to scrap the airport project as a result of the missing airport funds in the 2012 budget. Cong. Aumentado interpellated Sec. Roxas during the budget hearing of the DOTC. The congressman is a member of the powerful committee on appropriations. Although there was no official information writing finis to the Panglao airport, it was widely surmised that Pres. Aquino and Roxas were convinced that the best option available was to improve the existing facilities of the city airport.

In so many press releases, the Panglao airport was included in Pinoy’s PPP projects. This was where the Aumentado rationale came into the picture when he declared that improving the city airport makes it more vulnerable to present realities that it is the most dangerous airport hereabouts. Moreover, the solon warned that the present airport “was an accident waiting to happen”. Citing cogent reasons why the airport was to be in another location like Panglao, Cong. Aumentado said a study from the Swedish Aviation Authority (Swedavia) showed that the city airport was so dangerous for airline take off and landing. The second district lawmaker cited the following constraints in proposing the construction of the Panglao airport instead of improving the one in this city: The runway approaches at the existing Tagbilaran Airport are limited by terrain. The straight – in approach to Runway 35 has a 196 m hill (187 m above runway level) some 5,800 meters from the threshold, roughly at a 3.18 approach slope.

The straight- in app roach to Runway 17 has a mountain range with a maximum elevation 502 m (493 m above runway level) located at a distance varying from 11,000 to 13,000 m from the threshold, necessitating permanent curved approach procedures. In view of the restrictive approaches, operations for medium type aircraft like Boeing 737 and heavier will always be climb-gradient limited and VFR only.The twin hills in the Dauis side and the Maribojoc mountain ranges in the westside are the technical description that bedevils the present airport location in this city. The same obstructions that loom large in both approaches of the city airport were cited extensively in the Swedavia study. The present site has virtually no space for expansion. The airport fence is located at the property lire, for the major part at a distance of 50 m from the runway centerline. Residential developments are immediately outside the fence in principle all along the fence. The development of a 150 m wide strip as a minimum requirement for 8737 require considerable additional land on both sides of the runway and, as a consequence, relocation of existing residential developments. B737 operations will require a runway length of 2,000 m. High terrain and city developments will preclude an extension of the existing runway towards the south, Thus, the required runway extension, approximately 700 m. will have to be towards the north.

Considering the requirements an obstacle free approach area, housing development will have to be severely restricted for at least an additional 1,000 m. No housing should be permitted in the first 500 m, and thereafter restrictions on heights of buildings will have to be imposed in accordance with the appropriate obstacle limitation surfaces (approach surface to Runway 17 the 1 to 7 transitional surfaces). As a consequence, several housing developments including those of the IHM
Seminary and the IHM Parish Church- would have to be relocated. The width of the existing runway is inadequate for B737 operations and will require widening to 45 m. Similarly, the bearing strength the existing pavement, both the PCS r unway pavements and the AC taxiway and apron pavements, is inadequate for B737 operations, and all pavements will require strengthening. The major part of the existing apron would be located within the runway strip area where the aerodrome code number is 4 as required for B737 operations.